Scouring and polishing powder



Patented Sept. 4, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SCOURING ANDPOLISHING POWDER Joseph M. Bleakney, Manhasset, N. Y.

No Drawing. Application March is, 1943,-

- Serial No. 479,595

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a cleaning composition which may be used forboth scouring and polishing aluminum, porcelain, silver and many othermaterials.

Present day cleaning compositions may be divided roughly into scouringpowders and polishing powders. In the form'er,.the active cleaning agentis a pulverized mater'iaLsuchfor example, as volvanic ash, havingrelatively large, hard particles which cut through dirt, grease, etc.,when rubbed over the surface to be cleaned. .Such powders remove theundesired substance and so clean the surfaces over which they areapplied.

The relatively soft material, the'particles of I which may be consideredas constituting the a8- But, at the same time, their gritty particlesproduce a multitude of scratches visible to the naked eye. On somesurfaces this may not be particularly objectionable, but on others,especially ishing materials may be substituted according to thecharacter of the surfaces to be cleaned. It

is held on the aggregate by varnish, natural or artificial resinlacquers, animal or vegetable relatively soft materials, such as silver,these scratches would be extremely objectionable.

Polishing powders comprise a very flnelypulverized abrasive materialwhich removes tarnish, stains, etc., without producing scratches visibleto the naked eye. In such powders, the particles are so small that theywill not cut through grease, scum, etc., and consequently these powdersare not effective for scouring purposes. Also, polishing powders whendry, have a tendency to pack together and therefore are not adaptablefor use in containers with sifter openmgs. objectionable dust whenshaken from the container. Accordingly, such powders are usually sold inliquid or paste carriers. Such arrangeglues, or other suitable binders,being applied .while' the binder is still tacky.

i A small percentage of either a so-called pure soap, or a builtsoap, 1. e., one which comprising pure soap and an alkali, is added as alubricant and water softener and for rinsing the surface. It has beenfound that approximately 5% of such soap powder is satisfactory.

It will be understood that the proportions of '25 each of theseingredients may be varied over a Furthermore, a dry powder produces anments increase the expense of the cleaning material not only by the costof the carrying medium' but they also require expensive air-tightcontainers to prevent deterioration of the liquid or paste.

The present cleaning composition not only scours and polishes in asingle operation but it 40 also has all the advantages of a dry powderwhich may be readily dispensed through 9, sifter opene ing withoutproducing objectionable dust.

It has been found that when finely divided abrasive polishing powder isfirmly attached to larger particles of a relatively soft material, theresulting composition may be used for both scouring and polishingpurposes. The particles in this composition are sufilciently large toscour dirt, grease and other substances, over which ordinary polishingpowder would smudge. At the same time, these particles, being ofrelatively soft material, are not sufllciently hard to produce scratcheson the surfaces over which they tre rubbed.

35 lows, using either hand apparatus:

wide range. By way of example, a preferred composition comprises, byvolume:

Sawdust Diatomaceous earth 45 Binder Powdered soap 5 Such acomposition'may be prepared as folor mechanical mixing The sawdust ismixed with the binder so that the latter is more or less evenly spreadover the 1y desirable to continue this mixing until the binder is dry,thus insuring greater and more uniform distribution ofthe polishingpowder.

- When the mixture is thoroughly dry, the soap powder is added.

The resulting dry composition is used in the rubbed over-the surface tobe cleaned.

What is claimed is: I I

l. A scouring and polishing powder comprising -sawdust, the particles ofwhich are coated with a dried binder, finely ground diatomaceous Percent V usual manner, i. e., applied to a damp cloth and earth securelyimbedded in said binder and a dry soap powder.

2. A scouring and polishing powder compris- 4 ing sawdust, the particlesof which are coated binder and powdered soap.

4. A cleaning composition comprising cellulosic materialhavingrelatively soft particles coated with a dried binder, finelydivided mineral abrasive polishing powder securely imbedded in saidbinder and a dry soap powder mixed with said coated particles.

5. A cleaning composition comprising cellu losic material havingrelatively soft particles coated with .a dried binder, finely dividedmineral abrasive polishing powder securely .imbedded in said binder anda powdered soap mixed with said coated particles.

' 6. A combined scouring and polishing powder comprising by volume aboutforty-five percent sawdust, forty-five percent diatomaceous earth, fiveper cent dried binder and five percent soap powder, said binder actingto hold the particles of said diatomaceous earth securely to saidsawdust.

- JOSEPH M. BLEAKNEY.

